Visually Impaired in Desperate Need of Food, Water

The Christian Association of the Blind (CAB), located in the Duazon Community and catering to over 35 visually impaired children and adults, is short of food and safe drinking water.

As the Rainy Season intensifies, the association’s dormitory and school are leaking profusely posing a serious challenge to the already physically challenged residents in their living and learning environments.

The co-founder, deputy executive director and administrator of CAB, Mrs. Fatu C. Kota, told the Daily Observer in an exclusive interview over the weekend that the association, which is also like an orphanage, is running low on food and water.

The only hand-pump that provided safe-drinking water is broken.
She said that the zinc roofing on the dormitory and the school which are sheltering the children and the adults, are damaged. The piggery which has about eight pigs, is also leaking.

“For almost a month, we fetched water far across the road, which is dangerous for the children, most of whom have serious visual impairment. But with the hand-pump damaged, there is no alternative.

Madam Kota sounded an alarm when she said that three weeks from now there will be no food, “so we are appealing to everyone to help us especially, at this time of the year, when everything is hard due especially to the heavy rains.”
“We usually cook 25 cups of rice per day and use at least LD500 for the soup ingredients. But now, none of those things are in stock. So it would be a blessing for anyone to help us because the Bible says, ‘Ask, and you shall receive.’

A carpenter has assessed the repair of the facilities at about US$5,000.

Mrs. Kota indicated that the children also lacked Braille papers to do their school work. She stressed that insufficient Braille papers is hampering the smooth learning of the visually impaired who keenly desire to acquire some level of formal education.

Mr. Beyan Kota, the husband to Fatu Kota, is the founder and executive director of the CAB.

The plight of the visually impaired children and adults came to light when a representative from the Plaza United Methodist Church of the UMC Western Conference District in the United States made a donation to the association and two other needy institutions.

Mr. Momo M. Sandimanie donated a carton of Ebola preventive materials and a barrel of clothes, bags and footwear.
He has meanwhile promised to zinc the piggery and provide feed for the pigs.

Interested donors or benefactors are asked to contact the institution on cell numbers +231-88510354 or +231-7770002003.

Liberianobserver.com is the online version of its print edition, the Daily Observer newspaper, a product of the Liberian Observer Corporation. The Daily Observer publishes a wide range of content including politics, business, sports and entertainment on and about Liberia. Follow us on social media for all the latest news and analysis.